A comprehensive plan to help the Irish pigmeat industry over a crisis of over-production and falling prices will be considered at the weekend by the Department of Agriculture and Food, writes Sean MacConnell.
The plan was put forward by the Irish Farmers' Association and Irish Bacon Processors at an emergency meeting with the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, Mr Ned O'Keeffe.
The plan involves the introduction of export credit insurance for the Russian market, a special Bord Bia promotion fund to assist exporters to Russia and the immediate suspension of all statutory levies which cost producers £1.25p per pig.
In a statement following the meeting, Mr O'Keeffe said his officials would look at the submission and meet IFA and the pig-processors on Tuesday morning to agree on the way forward.
He added that the introduction of export refunds by the EU on Thursday would be a great benefit to producers and he had already asked Bord Bia to examine the Russian market.
The IFA president, Mr Tom Parlon, who had led a protest to the Department, said there was an urgent need to move 2,000 tonnes of Irish pigmeat off the island. There was already a build-up of 25,000 pigs in the Republic since a fire destroyed the Lovell and Christmas pig-processing unit at Ballymoney, Co Antrim, in June.
"A special Government-supported scheme is needed immediately to clear the growing backlog of pigs. Pig farmers in Donegal and Cavan, in particular, continue to have great difficulty finding a factory to take their pigs," he said.
The shortage of slaughtering facilities has already reduced the average price by 7p per kg and former Lovell and Christmas customers are being offered 75p per kg for pigs which cost 95p per kg to produce.